That Girl
by Dawn Bently
Summary: Slowly, I stopped thinking about the memories I wish I had as my real life, and this life became my real life. But it wasn't the town that made this change in me. It was that girl...
1. Chapter 1

I know that this house, these people, this town, is not supposed to look familiar. I've never set foot here before, why should any of this look even vaguely familiar, but still I cannot help myself. Everywhere I look, I'm waiting for something to look familiar. I'm waiting for some glimpse of a memory, just one small glimmer of the past I can't remember. No matter what I do, or who I talk to, I want something to feel familiar. Nothing ever does.

All I remember are those pink flowers on that huge tree, it's shade casting over me and that black haired girl, Mana. Of course, nothing about me, my life, or who I am is stored in my memory, but I know from the look in her eye that she cares for me more than any other person I've met so far. The matters of romance and love, and the trials of the heart are like second nature to me, but still nothing about who I am, or who I used to be lies in my memory.

She gave me this farm to work, and I don't think I was a laborer in my life, my real life, because these tools and this work is hard on my body. My hands had been smooth when I met Mana, and now, after only a season of working this farm, they are rough and calloused. My back aches less now that I have been working the field a bit longer, but the summer storms taking out my crops probably has something to do with that as well.

Slowly, I stopped thinking about the memories I wish I had as my real life, and this life I had now as my temporary one. One day at a time, this life became my real life, and walking into town became the high light of my days. At first I could not figure out what it was that made me much more comfortable, but it took only a few days for me to see the truth. It wasn't really the town that made my days so much brighter, it was that girl.

There was something about her, and I don't think I'll ever know what it is, but I know it's there. Other than farm work, reading the women around me is all I know, though I don't think I would like to know how I became so talented at reading them. It makes me worry. I can't imagine anything worse than a wife from that old life appearing in Alvarna ready to take me back that life. I don't think I could handle that. I don't think I could ever imagine my life away from her.

I suppose the only thing worse that already having gotten married to another woman, is that I had perhaps several girlfriends. That would certainly explain why I have such a gift for reading women. That's not what she says though. She simply stares at me with her emerald eyes wishing she had the ability to read others the way I do. Maybe she's right. Maybe I can do it with everyone, but only noticed the girls. It matters little, either way.

All I know is that after I complete my daily chores, as quickly as possible, I run to mine in the forest, but sometimes on Blessia Island if I finish quickly enough. Nothing lights up her cute elven face like a beautiful emerald or ruby. She simply adores them, and I cannot help myself. I love the way she smiles at them, as if she has never seen one in her life, though I know for certain she has. I once visited her in the Inn and found her polishing her gem collection. She has enough to fund an entire building project, but I don't think she'd trade them for the world.

Then there's Jake.

He, too, is half elven, though it matters more to him than to my precious Cecilia. On some level I think she realizes her heritage, and understands his overwhelming pride for it, but behind that sweet, innocent exterior, Cecilia is passionate. She's more passionate than anyone I've ever met, though I only really know the kind people of Alvarna. She's reserved on the outside, but once she's alone, her heart opens and she's almost a completely different person.

She fascinates me in that way. I can hardly bring myself to walk away from her when her eyes get that passionate gleam and she smiles that perfect smile. Every once in a while, she'll reach up to push the hair from her face, tucking it behind her long pointed ear, her eyes casted downward. It took me all of a few weeks to fall for her. I think Jake noticed it, too. He become very cold to me, or at least colder to me than any other human. I didn't care as much as I thought I would. It seemed the more I more I cared for Cecilia, the less I needed anyone else to care for me.

Then came the day I couldn't help myself. I had visited her while the Saint-Coquille family had been out of the manor. She wasn't down stairs where she usually was when I visited, and I did not find her until I ventured into one of the guest bedrooms to find her dusting the table.

Whenever we were alone, no matter how rare those times were, she would call me by a name other than the one I gave Mana. Mana had pushed me for a name, and I did not know what I wanted then. As time moved forward, however, I realized Kyle was not my name, nor would it ever be my name. It simply did not feel like mine. That was how Cecilia and I had found a name that felt very familiar to me. I don't know if it was the name, or they way she said it, but I didn't care which. All that mattered was that she had a different name for me, and I wouldn't have had it any other way. It made me feel as though there was part of me that belonged only to that cute elf.

"Chase," She gasped when she had finally noticed me in the doorframe of the guest bedroom. I smiled as she wiped her hands on her dirty dress. It made me think of how wonderful she would look when I managed to gather enough gold to buy her a new one. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you." I answered simply. I always wanted to see her. There was no one else I wanted to see half as bad as I wanted to see her. "I've been thinking about you." I told her the truth and watched as a blush crawled onto her cheeks. She dropped her cleaning supplies and let them land where they landed before she motioned to the nearby bed. I took a seat on the edge of the bed, as did she, but she sat further away from me than I would have liked.

"That's very sweet of you Chase." She replied, her sweet voice drawing all my attention to her. "I always wondered if you thought about me when we weren't together."

"Of course I do," I answered as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. To me it was. I suppose to her, a person with a full life and complete set of memories, did not have the same ability to recognize the obvious. She was more seasoned with her experiences. Maybe that was exactly why I was so good at reading others. I did not have prior experiences to cloud my vision.

"Do you ever wonder about who you are?" She asked. I turned away from her for a moment and gazed out the window on the wall behind her. I drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out as I pondered the thought.

"I used to all the time." I answered truthfully, "but lately, I haven't. Not very much. I used to have dreams about me in this dark, black room. There was only a single door, but it was locked, and I had not enough light to find another way out."

"That sounds awful." Cecilia's voice was so full of concern, but the look on her face softened a bit when I sent her a reassuring smile.

"It was sort of how I felt for a long while. But lately my dreams had been very different."

"What do you dream of now?"

"A happy life. A family, a beautiful wife, and a beautiful child." I answered as I looked into her eyes more deeply. I moved slightly closer to her, only wanting to feel her presence. "I dream of a woman, I wish I had, but feel as if I never will."

It pained me as I watched the look in her eye. They had filled with emotions, and hardly any of them good. The overwhelming emotion was of jealousy. It was then I realized she did not know I meant her. I always meant her. I did not want another, nor would I ever.

"That sounds wonderful." Her voice was forced, as was her smile. "I don't suppose you have any idea as to who that woman is, do you?"

"I have some idea." I answered, still smiling at her, hoping that at any moment she would see the truth so clearly laid out before her. I had no such luck. She only continued to stare at me until I could not take the pain of watching her heart break before me. Even though I wanted to, more than anything, to tell her it that it was her, I could not. I wanted so desperately to explain that she was the wife I wanted. She was the woman I wanted in my bed every night and every morning. She was the woman I wanted to kiss and hold. She was the one. She was the only one.

But my nerves defeated me. I knew she cared for me. I did not know if she cared for me as much as I cared for her, but I knew it was there. Still, I clung to the fear of rejection. I worried she would not be my first kiss. I worried she would not be the only woman I would ever kiss, and ever hold, for I had no memory of any other woman, and currently wanted no other.

Instead of telling her directly, I chose to slightly change the subject, hoping to come back to it when my nerves had faded. "Have you ever been kissed, Cecilia?" I asked, hoping her pain would disappear. I could not stand the sight.

"No," She answered softly, her eyes casted down at the rug, instead of at me where they usually were. "I've never kissed anyone. I've never had a first kiss."

"Nor have I." I answered. "At least not anything I can remember. I guess that means that whenever I do kiss someone, they'll be my first."

"Yes," She nodded in agreement, but still would not look at me.

"Cecilia," I called her name and she replied but did not look at me still. "Please, look at me." I requested as gently as I could as I reached out with one hand. I touched her cheek, and softly turned her head forcing her eyes to peer into mine. It felt amazing to me. I loved the feel of her skin. It was so smooth and clear. So perfect, I was afraid my rough hands would damage it. Unfortunately, the pain still present in her eyes did not complete the perfection I knew she had.

"I'm sorry," She whispered, her face tilting slightly into my palm. I knew I should've drawn my hand back; I knew but I couldn't. It was the first time I'd ever really touched her. Sure, our hands had brushed every once in a while when I handed her things, but never had I held her face so gently in my hand, so close to her face, so close to her lips.

"That woman is you, Cecilia." I finally managed to say while the moment was as perfect as it was ever going to be. "You are the woman in my dreams. You are my wife in my dreams. How can you not see this? How can you not feel this?"

"Oh, Chase," Cecilia's pain melted immediately as she reached up, her hand resting over mine on her cheek. She shut her eyes as she pushed her face into my hand, making it incredibly difficult for me to hold myself back. The way she held my hand and pushed her face into it made her all the more desirable.

"I want you, Cecilia." I told her finally and she opened her eyes, letting her hand fall away from mine. She moved closer to me, her face escaping the cradle of my hand, but all I knew was her body so close to mine, her lips dangerously close to mine.

"I was worried it was another."

"There is no other." I told her, before swallowing. I knew our situation. We were completely alone in this manor, sitting on the guest bed, and I did not trust myself. I knew we must be married before any sexual contact with one another, and I knew that if I even kissed her, all restraint I might have had would have faded into nothing.

"I want you to be my first kiss, Chase." She whispered the last words I needed to hear.

"Cecilia," I groaned her name as I moved closer to her against my good reason. I let my arms wrapped around her body, marveling at how perfect she fit within them. "I can't do this. We can't. We must be married first."

"Just a single kiss, Chase." She whispered to me, her hot breath touching my lips. I held my breath and shut my eyes as I pressed our foreheads together. Already I was dangerously close to her, and could not bear to part with her. "Just a moment. Just a single memory to dream of, until we are married."

"I can't control myself around you," I told her honestly. "I don't think I could ever stop."

"Perhaps I won't want you to stop."

"Don't say that." I groaned again as I managed to pull my head away from hers. I opened my eyes to see the pleading look in her green eyes. "We can't, Cecilia. We must be married."

"No one would know." She replied. "And we will be married anyway. I want all those things you dream of, Chase. I want to be your wife." She told me before she moved closer still, though this time she moved her head to my shoulder, her lips perfectly in line with my ear for her next statement. "I want to be your lover."

I couldn't help myself at the thought. All I knew was her lips, her body, and her perfect beauty. In an uncontrollable craze, I pulled her back and pressed my lips to hers without giving her moment to realize what was happening. I moved my lips against hers and reveled in the feel of her lips moving as well. She wrapped her arms around my neck and I tightened my arms around her waist as we kissed. It was a kiss that stopped the world. I knew nothing else except her. I cared not who I was, and who I used to be. This was my real life. She was my life. I cared not that perhaps she would've made a better match with Jake. The thought repulsed me anyway.

I could not stand it. I could not bear to think about them together. Not her. Not my Cecilia. My darling, my love. Not with him, that cold, that rude being. She was soft. She was gentle. She was not meant for him. She was meant for me. I was meant for her. No matter how much better they would've looked, she and I would be far happier.

Before long, I found myself in a position I feared would occur. She was lying beneath me on that guest bed, her small frame almost lost beneath my large one. Her arms were still tight around my neck and my hands were on her waist, our lips still attached and refusing to part. I could feel the lack of oxygen affecting me, but I couldn't pull away. I wanted her far more than I wanted air.

Finally, she broke the kiss and we both gasped for much needed air. I wasted little time, however, my lips instantly reattaching at her neck, pulling a moan from her throat, a sound that only encouraged me. Her hand found its way to my hair, pulling and massaging at my scalp, and it felt amazing. She urged me when she like what I was doing, and she pulled when she didn't. I made changes to please her. I wanted so bad to please her, for it pleased me as well.

Then she moaned my name, and I shifted my hips. Hearing my name in that deep moan from the deepest part of her throat was the thin line we had crossed. It was the point of no return. I couldn't stop anymore. I needed to hear her moan my name just like that. So desperate for me. So utterly pleased by me. Just me.

"Chase, please." She moaned again as I sucked at her neck, my hips shifting again between her spread legs. She moaned at the feel that drove me wild. Her nails dug into my skin, and I knew it would leave marks.

"Cecilia," I groaned her name before I kissed her neck more.

"Don't stop." She told me breathlessly. I moved my way back to her lips and again we were locked in a passionate kiss. My hands started to travel her body, though I became nervous as they moved closer and closer to the areas only a lover would dare touch.

"It's ok," Cecilia told me, her green eyes now black. I still hesitated, but she undid the first button of her dress for me, making me more at ease, though still nervous. My fingers touched her bare skin and we both moaned at the feel. "Chase, please. I want you."

"I want you," I told her in a deep moan, but I finally was able to withdraw my hand from her body and sit up on the bed. I was on my knees looking down at the woman I had just ravished. Her hair was tousled and her lips were bright red and swollen from the kissing.

"No," Cecilia reached out for me, but I restrained. "Chase, please." She pleaded with me as she too got on her knees and moved to kneel in front of me. "We can't stop now." She tried to put her arms around me, and attach her lips to mine, but I stopped her.

"We have to wait." I told her. "Isn't that what you really want? Don't you want this for your wedding night? For your husband?"

"He'll be you."

"You don't know that." I spoke the words that had been eating at me, but I instantly regretted it when I watched her heart shatter for the second time in an hour.

"But," She started as she started to back away from me. I saw the tears in her eyes and suddenly I could not bear the pain either. "But don't you want to marry me?"

"Yes," I exclaimed breathlessly. "Yes, Cecilia. More than anything I want you. More than anything I want you as my wife. I want no other."

"Then why?" She demanded.

"Because. Because I always thought you… That there was always a chance that you would want Jake, instead. Someone more like you. Someone who will better understand you. Someone of your kind."

"Don't be ridiculous," She chastised me all while holding back the tears I had caused. "If I wanted Jake I would be kissing him. I would be with him."

"I'm sorry," I answered, unsure of what she wanted now. Unsure if she still wanted me there. For a few awkward moments, I kneeled on the bed watching her, desperation in my eyes, terrified I had ruined the only good thing in my new life. She only watched me from where she stood on the other side of the room. "I…" I started to speak, but found the words hard to speak, especially after those few minutes of pure bliss. "I guess I'll go home then." I slowly got the feet, the memory replaying in my head. It was all I could do not to think about how her lips felt, how her body felt beneath mine, so willing, so ready for me and mine so eager as well.

I took only a few steps towards the door, but paused again to look at her. "You're so beautiful," I whispered to her before I took a step toward her. I half expected her to step back, but thankfully she didn't and I was able to place my palm against her cheek and kiss her forehead lovingly, all while fearing it would be the last touch we ever shared.

After only a few seconds, it donned on me that after our passionate encounter and weeks of courting, I had never brought myself to actually tell her how I felt. I had told her all the things I wanted that implied how I felt, but I never said those three words. Looking into her eyes, my hand still cupping her perfect face, I whispered to her. "I love you, Cecilia."

With all my strength, I drew my hand back, and turned to walk towards the door. I was ready to walk out of that room, and take the long way home, all while dreaming about her, but she stopped me, and my heart swelled in happiness.

"Wait." Her voice was so soft, that had there been any other noise, I probably wouldn't have heard her. Turning back to her, I watched as she stepped out to me. "You're right, Chase. I do want that for my wedding night. I do want to share that moment with only my husband, and I suppose there always is a chance that he might not be you, no matter how desperately I want him to be you."

"I would give anything, Cecilia," I told her looking into her eyes. "I would do anything to have you as my wife, but until that happens…"

"We should wait." She whispered and I nodded softly. "That doesn't mean you can't kiss me though."

"No, I supposed it doesn't." I replied, finally smiling at her. I took a few steps towards her and she took one towards me. With new familiarity, I bent down and captured her lips in a chaste kiss, though in my heart of hearts, I knew one day our kiss would cease to be so sweet and innocent. I only needed time to make her my wife.


	2. Chapter 2

It felt like hours, but really, I'd only been waiting for about ten minutes. I knew he would come, I just couldn't wait any longer. I needed him to come as soon as possible. As I anxiously awaited his arrival, I sat on the stone pathway, my back leaning against one of the old pillars of the shrine. I let my eyes shut and tried my best to focus on my breathing. When I realized I would never be able to regulate my breaths so long as Chase clouded my thoughts, I tried to shift my focus to the feel of the sun's rays on my bare arms, hoping the warmth would distract me from thinking too much of Chase.

Of course, it didn't work. At the sound of leaves crunching somewhere behind me, I turned quickly, hoping it was Chase's loud footsteps as he came for me. Came to propose to me. To finally make me his wife after a year of promising he would do so. When I couldn't see over the shrubbery of the forest, I pushed myself to my feet, then felt everything stop as I watched Chase approach me, one hand clutched tightly into a fist, a wide grin across his lips, his eyes shining.

"I came," he said softly once he stood before me. I nodded in agreement as I peered up to look into his eyes. "I'll always come for you."

I couldn't help but smile and laugh as he took a step closer to me. Of course, we'd been much closer before, but it was just a moment so long ago that it now lingered in my mind much like a dream would. I could not stand to wait any longer for that moment, and many others, to feel like memories from days spent as his wife.

"Will you marry me?" His voice was deep, and if he had spoken the words with uncertainty, I couldn't tell. All I knew was the feel of the perfectly round stone in his hand as he held it out to mine. Neither of us looked down at it, and instead held each other's gaze, allowing our hands to feel their way to each other's.

Before I could even wrap my fingers around the stone, I felt his lips on mine, as though he could not wait for my one word answer. It was unnecessary for me to say it, for we both knew we'd waited far too long for this moment, but it seemed customary to allow the soon-to-be bride answer the proposal before kissing her. It didn't matter to me, though. He knew my answer, and I'd dreamed for so long to feel his lips again that as soon as it was possible, I wanted it again.

Somewhere in the background, I could vaguely make out the sound of the round stone striking the hard surface of the stone floor, but I paid it no other attention. With the stone out of our hands, Chase put his hands on my waist and I wrapped my arms around his neck. I don't remember how it happened, but I suddenly could feel the stone pillar against my back, and Chase's full frame pressed against my smaller frame, effectively pinning me to that spot. I didn't mind, in fact, I rather enjoyed the feeling.

On one hand, it felt as though he were protecting me, all while our lips moved together with an intensity I'd never known before that moment. On the other, it felt rough, perhaps the opposite of what romance should be, but I trusted Chase with my whole being, and knew no real harm would ever come to me while he was there. Perhaps that was what made the encounter feel so thrilling.

Finally he pulled away, and I could hear our breathing grow louder as we both gasped for air we'd denied for so long. He pressed his forehead against mine, and our eyes simply stared into one another, neither of us wanting to speak, wanting to end the moment we'd spent months awaiting.

"Let's get married today," he breathed out, as he attempted to speak while still out of breath. "Right now."

I didn't know what to say. I wanted the exact same thing, but it seemed so rushed. Didn't I want my wedding to be perfect and romantic? Naturally, I did, but I wanted to simply be his wife, and him to be my husband, infinitely more than a perfect wedding.

"What do you say?"

"Yes," I nodded as I smiled at him. I didn't even know I had started crying until Chase kissed away the tear rolling from the corner of my eye.

"Are you sure?" he asked, stepping back, releasing me from the pillar, his voice suddenly less sure of himself than he had been before.

"Yes," I replied as I stepped towards him, despite to fill the space between us. I reached out, my hands resting on his well defined chest as I looked into his eyes. "I'm just happy, Chase. That we finally made it here."

He nodded and smiled as he leaned down to kiss me once more. Again, we lost ourselves within one another. All I knew was the feel of his lips against my skin and the way his hands clawed at my waist and back. I knew how bad he wanted to move further than passionate kisses in secrecy, for I wanted it just as badly as he did, if not more so. Now that we'd already pledged for each other, it seemed the boundary we carefully played around had disappeared, and instead only our rational judgment could stop us now.

That proved to be problematic, but neither us noticed it until we were laid out on a nearby patch of grass, Chase's large frame almost crushing me, but I loved the feel of his weight on me. He trailed kisses across my collar and up the side of my neck. More than once he moved closer to my lips but never kissed me properly. It was almost as though he loved the way I moaned in anticipation of a kiss that never came.

It was almost a complete repeat of the last time we'd allowed our passions to dictate our actions without any reasoning to intervene. Chase laid above me, his hands touching my body anywhere he could reach. Our lips moved against one another until we couldn't breathe, then he moved his kisses to the most sensitive spot on my neck. I amazed me how he could remember that single spot and just how to kiss it after all that time, but he was Chase. I'd never expected him to be anything less than the perfection he was, and he had yet to disappoint me.

His hands on my body were shaking a bit as he felt my barely there curves through the old worn fabric of my dress. He had already bought me a new dress to replace the old tattered one he'd met me in. It was a beautiful satin and silk dress, the color vibrantly bright, the embellishments polished and shiny. That was precisely why I never wore the dress. Something so exquisite surely should not be wasted on a girl spending all her hours on her hands and knees cleaning, scrubbing, and cooking. But I should've worn it today. I should've worn it for him.

"Cecilia," Chase groaned in a voice so deep it could hardly recognize it as his own. His lips were pressed against my shoulder, his lips still moving against my skin. I felt his shift his hips, and as his body brushed against the most intimate part of my body, a noise had escaped my throat before I could stop it. How could a feeling so intense, so wonderful, go completely unnoticed for so long? I wanted desperately for him to do it again, but I couldn't force any coherent words from my tightened throat. To convey my message, I scrapped my nails against his neck, and proving Chase and I truly were meant for one another, he understood. Again, the wave of pure pleasure rocked through my spine, and for a moment I wondered exactly what he could make me feel if the barrier of our clothes was removed.

I wanted to be a chaste new bride. Truly, I wanted to uphold that tradition, but Chase certainly had a way of turning me into a woman I had never known existed within me. Never had I been so blatantly desperate for physical, or otherwise sexual, contact. I had always been reserved. I had been the girl to begin blushing whenever the topic of sexual intimacy had been broached by the other gossipy girls comparing their conquests. Despite my serious lack of practice in that area, Chase let out a loud groan as I brushed my hand down his side and towards his waist.

As I turned my gaze to his face, I found his eyes screwed shut, his bottom lip pinned between his teeth. He shifted his hips against me again, and I mimicked his expression of pure satisfaction. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I recalled that I had always considered true love and physical lust to be two separate emotions, but as I lost myself more fully in Chase, I could no longer believe that to be true. Perhaps it was possible to feel such physical need for a person one's heart did not truly love, but I wasn't that girl, and Chase knew that. I had loved Chase with all my heart before my body had began to desire more than glances and innocent brushes of our hands.

"Do you want to wait?" I asked him in as clear a voice I could muster under the circumstances. "For our wedding night?"

"I want you now," he answered roughly as his hand found the hemline of my dress. His hand pressed against my thigh, and the touch forced my eyes wide open. It had suddenly donned on me that I had never been so intimate with any man until that moment. He'd never touched me that way before. I didn't want him to stop, but nervousness had began to claim me.

His hand stayed in that position as his other cupped my cheek. He directed my gaze to his, and as I watched his face, I realized the gentle man I'd fallen in love with was staring at me, rather than the sensual one who desperately wanted my body.

"Are you comfortable?" he asked me gently, careful not to continue unless I gave him permission. Chase would never force me to do anything I wasn't comfortable doing, and I loved him all the more for it.

"Just nervous," I answered truthfully before I pressed my lips against his for a quick kiss. There was something about his kiss that never failed to give me comfort. "I've never… never been with a man before." He knew that, but saying the words made me feel the reality of our current situation more fully.

"I've never been with a woman," he admitted. I knew that as well, but throughout our courtship, something had always haunted me.

"That you remember." The words had left me before I could censor them.

Quickly Chase withdrew his hand from my leg and lifted his body from mine. His face had darkened for a moment, and I wanted to look away from him, ashamed of what I nearly accused him of, but I couldn't tear my eyes off of him. He moved away from me and sat on the grass, his eyes on the ground, as I sat up as well. I wished I had more sense than to say anything about his lost memories, but there was nothing I could do about the slip up now.

Chase drew in an uneven breath before he turned his eyes to me. He no longer looked at me with lust in his eyes. He no longer appeared to desire my body, and I was terrified I had ruined our love.

"I'm sorry." He'd said the last words I'd have ever expected him to say. I wanted to protest. Shake my head. Tell him I was the one at fault. I shouldn't have accused him of having loved another woman before me when it was through no fault of his own he had no recollection of said woman. If she even existed.

"I know that if there was a possibility I wasn't the first man to have loved you the way I do, it would leave me haunted as well," he said as he held my gaze. His understanding only made me feel worse for what I said.

"I didn't mean to… I don't know," I sighed as turned my head downward and shut my eyes. I couldn't look him in the eye any longer. He'd loved me for a year, now. Treated me far better than he ever had to in order to win my heart. When I felt the rough calluses of his hand touching my cheek, I turned my gaze to his.

"I understand," he told me gently before he pressed his lips to my forehead. "But I can't imagine it's even remotely possible for one heart to feel so much for two different women. I love you so much that I don't think I could love any other half as much. If there's anything I can do, to ease your worries, please just-"

I silenced him with my lips. I didn't know what else to do. He was speaking foolishness acting as though he needed to prove to me his heart was true. I needed no such confirmation, and I hoped my kiss would convey that much to him, if not more. I had meant for it to be only a chaste, gentle kiss, but as I started to pull from his lips, his hands reached up to the sides of my face and held me against his lips. Slowly, I reached out to touch his shoulders and eventually I wrapped my arms around his neck. As his hands followed the length of my body, he lifted me by my hips and set me onto his lap. I wrapped my legs around his waist. Almost as though we had never been interrupted, we were locked in an intimate embrace, our lips refusing to part from one another at all cost.

Chase had changed something deep within me, and I had no idea when exactly that change had occurred. I noticed it for the first time at that moment when, isolated in the deepest part of the forest, there was nothing separating us from engaging in activity best reserved for a bedroom shared by a husband and wife. There was absolutely nothing in our way, not even our own reason and logic.

He had eventually found his way back to the upper portion of my legs, but I said nothing to stop him the second time. At his own pace, he moved up further and further, our kisses becoming deeper at the same pace. I wasn't nearly as bold as he, so he withdrew his rough hands from my legs to begin unbuttoning his shirt, starting from the top. After a few buttons, he retrieved my hands from his neck and guided them to the remaining buttons. For the next button, he guided my fingers through the motion of pushing the button through the restrictive hole keeping the shirt in place. After moving his hands from mine, I continued to unbutton his shirt while his hands returned to my legs.

I had successfully lost myself entirely in Chase. I had lost my heart within his and my body as well. As he traced the tip of his finger along the length of my face, his eyes staring adoringly into mine, I knew I had claimed his heart and body as he had claimed mine. Gently, he pressed his lips to my forehead, his bare chest pressing into the cloth of my dress which lay above my naked form modestly.

"Do you think we should've waited?" he asked me in a soft voice. His low lustful voice had been lost, but I loved the gentleness in him just as much as the roughness.

"I suppose it hardly matters anymore," I answered him in a soft voice as well. I could not smooth the smile across my lips; my happiness would not allow it.

"I think we should go into town, no?" Chase commented as he rolled away from me to lay on his back on the cool grass. I followed his movements, eager to close the space between our bodies, and the moment I drew close enough to him, he wrapped his arm around me to pull me closer. "Announce our engagement?"

"We'll be married in the Church," I told him as though the thought had just descended upon me.

"Of course," he replied with a laugh before he kissed my lips gently. "Everyone will surely be there."

"Even Mana," I commented. I couldn't recall exactly at which moment I had become so jealous, so insecure. First thoughts of a previous lover he could not recall, now of Mana, the woman who has had eyes for 'Kyle' since the moment she found him wandering aimlessly about the village.

"And Jake."

I felt slightly relieved that I wasn't the only jealous one among us, but I wished Chase could see Jake was not a prospect in my romantic life. Of course, I fairly certain he felt the same way about Mana, and so I left the subject alone.

"We shouldn't let them affect our life together anymore," I said as I sat up on the grass. With one arm, I held my dress against my chest, feeling embarrassed at my nakedness for some odd reason. He'd already seen my body in its entirety and I already seen his.

"Agreed," Chase nodded and I smiled at him. He peeled my arm from my chest and took the thin garment from my body before he opened it and began to help me dress. As I worked on the buttons, he pulled blades of grass from my hair. I could feel his finger following the point of my ear, before he poked the very tip, obviously much more amused by my elven features than I had ever been. "Do you feel that?" he asked curiously and I laughed as I nodded.

"Just like you feel your own ears, I imagine," I answered. I used to hate when humans asked seemingly pointless question about a kind different from their own, but it was enduring and even cute when Chase looked at me with wide eyes desperate to understand me.

After we had dressed, we walked, hand in hand into town. If anyone could tell we had rushed into marital bliss, they said nothing about it. I supposed it truly didn't matter. It wasn't as though I had a father to protect my honor, though Jake had taken that task on as his own. He wasn't happy in the slightest at the news of our engagement. His cold eyes had turned to Chase, but Chase held his gaze and offered out his hand to shake. Jake said nothing and refused Chase's attempts at civility, and instead had turned and stormed away angrily.

Mana looked upon us with jealous eyes and a half hidden frown. Her over protective father was always nearby, and it had made me glad I was the only person who could make decisions for my life. By the time the actual ceremony ended, thoughts of Mana and unknown and forgotten women had completely left me. I cared not if there were other women. He could not remember them anyway. I cared little about Mana and her wandering eyes. Forever, I would be the only woman to lay beside Chase at night. I would be the woman he held, he undressed, he kissed, he loved. There was nothing in this world that could change our love, and I could never forget that.


End file.
